Schools do well at robotics event
Published 12:33 am Saturday, April 4, 2009
Marysville Arts &Technology High School was among the top finishers at a recent robotics regional competition and a first-year team from Henry M. Jackson High School qualified for nationals at the same event.
Marysville Arts &Technology High School placed fourth out of 64 teams — the highest finish among the 10 teams from Snohomish and Island counties to participate in the FIRST Robotics regional competition in Seattle March 27 and 28.
Jackson’s Team 2910 met 64 other teams from Washington, Oregon, California, Idaho, New Hampshire, Florida, Canada, and one from Istanbul, Turkey.
The Jackson team secured an invitation to the World FIRST Championship in Atlanta, Ga., by winning the Rookie All-Star Award, the top honor a rookie team can earn.
The Rookie All-Star Award celebrates a new team exemplifying a young but strong partnership effort, as well as meeting the mission of inspiring students to learn more about science and technology.
In addition to success at the competition, more than half the team members raised their grade point average one full point as a result of the connections they made with mathematics, science, technology and a new understanding of the importance of education and its connection to career success.
Led by instructors Maggie Thorleifson and Richard Graham, along with Boeing engineer Brian Gattman and four other mentors, the students learned about structural mechanics, robotic propulsion and other engineering concepts.
Other local schools to participate included the Sky Valley Education Center in Monroe, 24th place; Arlington High School, 32nd place; Glacier Peak and Snohomish high schools, 34th place; Lynnwood High School, 35th place; Kamiak High School, 36th place; Mountlake Terrace High School, 43rd place; Monroe High School 45th place and Oak Harbor, 54th place.
Donations to help students compete in the finals in Georgia can be made payable to H.M. Jackson High School, Attn. JHS First Robotics Team 2910, 1508 136th St. SE, Mill Creek, WA 98012.
